Uh, really?
by Check1-2AHHH
Summary: A teenage girl is trapped on the island. Will she be the sense of reality to the boys? or just a stronger savage? sorry it took so long to update, and thank you for the sweet reviews :
1. Well hi

Spring break.

FINALLY.

I sat in the commercial jet that would be leaving taking me to the Caribbean in minutes. Anxious to leave, I was already buckled and clutching my bag with a smile on my face.

"Leigh." I glanced forward and my parents waved at me a row ahead. I grinned and looked out the window as my mind began to wander.

Inside my backpack lay my favorite book, which had been conveniently introduced to me by my English teacher a few months back. I'd read it 2 or 3 more times since the class finished, though that only caused me to love the story more.

"Lord of the Flies." Even the _name _was cool. It was the direct translation of Beelzebub-a word in Hebrew that meant devil, Lucifer, Satan, whatever you want to call humanity's interpretation of evil. The story itself was a simple tale of boys trapped on an island, but what I loved about it was its allegorical significance.

While the boys became corrupt, they stood for parts of our own broken society. I sighed. As much as I adore Lord of the Flies, it made me feel sick to read about those boys.

Really. I **don't** like kids. But all those kids lost physically and mentally made me wish I could yell to them, to help them, or comfort them in some way. Even the bad ones, like Roger and Jack-I bet someone could've made a difference in their actions if they tried.

My eyelids became heavy as the plane started moving. I'd fallen asleep before we even took off.

…

My eyelashes fluttered open when my name was called. My mother paused while I readjusted myself in the seat. She motioned to the stewardess who pushed a cart down the isle and gave out drinks and snacks. I gladly accepted water and pretzels, and then ate a few before starting to fall asleep again.

…

I woke when the plane jolted suddenly. A second hit made me sit up and look around at the other passengers. They were glancing around as well, just as confused as me. We heard the pilot begin talking over an intercom.

_A lower part of the plane has been blown off. Please remain calm and retrieve the flotation devices from under your seats. Securely attach them to yourselves before heading to the nearest exit._

WHAT? I started hyperventilating. Had there been a bomb? Faulty mechanics? What was happening?

Everyone stood and grabbed the seats that they hoped would save them from the water that was surely coming closer and closer to us. I stumbled when the plane hit the water, but slung my bag over my shoulders, grabbed the float, and headed to the flashing red exit sign.

With ease we slid out of the plane to the dark water. People groaned and complained but stayed afloat. I snickered to myself at how ungrateful they were to be safe. After a few minutes, a flight attendant yelled something to all of us. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear her and remained confused as people swam away from the floating aircraft.

I gasped as some force in the water pulled me back and down. I dimly recalled reading that sinking vessels would pull floating survivors down with them. _Oh. That's what she was talking about._

The pressure on my lungs increased and kicking made me exhausted. I let the darkness consume me.

…

I couldn't feel anything. Numbness overwhelmed me…but…somehow I floated towards a bright light.

Was my life already over? What would wait for me on the other side? No. That can't be right. I'm an atheist. I have PLANS for my future that no one is going to take that from me, regardless of their power. My anger rose as the pressure in my chest subsided. The light dimmed and eventually disappeared. My numbness became discomfort for the wet sand against my back.

After coughing up what seemed like enough salt water for the entire Atlantic, I sat up and rubbed my stinging skin. A moment later I noticed the sun was being blocked and looked up.

My own hazel eyes stared into malevolent blue.


	2. Why is everyone British?

I gasped then doubled over and coughed up more salt water. The boy in front of me backed away and waited. After I'd cleared my lungs, I studied him closer. That was a boy, right? The black robe he wore could've argued otherwise, but his freckled face and messy red hair seemed characteristic of an adolescent male.

While processing this information, I became aware of his sneer. I became flushed and looked down, embarrassed for my bad habit of staring. The boy dropped a bundle on my lap- my backpack! I'd never been more appreciative for my waterproof Jansport. Sure, it would tear if it held more than 3 textbooks, but being tossed through water it could apparently handle. I muttered a "thanks" and slowly stood, feeling now just how stiff I was.

Other similarly dressed boys had begun appearing behind the first. They stared, confused as to why they were stopped here. In the distance I could hear a trumpet sounding. My redheaded guest heard it too, and he looked back at his followers to bark orders. _Someone_ was impatient.

"Pick her up, we'll take her to the man with the megaphone." A boy, who shouldn't have had so much ease considering his slight build, promptly scooped me up. I winced at his gloomy face partially covered by dark hair. He walked at the back of two lines that the first boy led. I kept quiet for the protest would've been silenced anyway by dehydration I was probably experiencing.

Our lines stopped and we stood still for a few minutes. The red-haired boy was talking to someone at the front of the line. I wished I could hear…or even see what was going on. A few feet in front of us, another boy fainted.

While that took place, I recalled the water in my bag. Releasing one arm from my deliverer, I removed the bottle and downed its contents in a few seconds. I grinned as I felt my throat gain feeling again and put the bottle back. I looked up at the dark-haired boy and poked his outfit.

"Why are all of you dressed like that?"

"…Choir…" he mumbled, his tone completely antisocial. The leader of the choir motioned for the boys to sit. The quiet boy set me down on a fallen tree next to other choir members. Not wanting to embarrass myself again, I took out my book and began re-reading for the fourth time. I scanned the part where Ralph meets the choir while listening to the conversation around me.

"We'd better all have names, so I'm Ralph," one voice spoke. Other boys went around the circle and stated their names. I made a face. _Why is everyone British?_

"Kids' names. Why should I be Jack? I'm Merridew," said the redheaded boy I first met.

I almost dropped my book. If the furtive boy, (whom I now realized was Roger), noticed my reaction, he didn't say anything.

I listened to the conversation again after Piggy's name had been revealed. It was the choir's turn. First there were Maurice and Roger.

Sudden silence made me realize it was my turn.

"Leigh." Heads snapped up in my direction. _Yeah. Surprise! There's a girl on the island,_ I thought. Ugh, I was going to ruin my favorite book if I wasn't careful. By now, the choir had fully been introduced. Ah-the voting had begun as well. Ralph silenced the boys.

"Who wants Jack to be chief?"

I raised my hand with the choir. After all, aside from my gratitude for rescue, the soon-to-be malicious boy was my favorite in the book. Sadly, my vote did not help that the choir was outnumbered by the littluns who chose Ralph.

My thoughts again drifted to plans of help for the children I was surrounded by, and I was no longer listening to the conversation. The meeting ended and Ralph made plans with Jack to go exploring.


	3. Dead Man's Float

Littluns around the platform were getting up and leaving to play. The choir boys left as well. I stayed sitting, clutching the book in shock.

So…I'm on an island…

…In World War II…

…With only children…

…In a fictional book?...

I kicked the sand, seeing only now that my shoes had been lost in the sea. My damp shorts and shirt clung to my skin, but their coolness felt nice in the tropical heat. I walked down to the beach and saw Piggy trying to keep track of kids.

"Hey you littluns! Stay here; no, don't go in the water if you can't swim. Fold your clothes and put them nearby before you leave. Don't throw sand!" The poor kid stumbled about, completely ignored. I stepped beside him.

"Need help?" Without waiting for response, I walked to the water and began picking kids up and shooing them to the beach.

When we had a majority gathered, I gave them a stern look. "Now littluns, you need to listen to Piggy. We can't drive you to the hospital if you get hurt. You could bleed to death or drown." Well that did it. The little boys looked confused at first, then either upset or afraid. "B-But you're not going to! We'll keep you safe, I promise." I hugged the child closest to me who had looked like he was going to cry.

Piggy adjusted his glasses. "Your name's Leigh, right?" I nodded and looked down at the kids who still stared up at me. "Would you mind helping me keep track of them?"

"Sure." I grinned. I suddenly became determined to help this island stay peaceful.

A little boy pulled on my shorts. "What are we supposed to do if we can't swim?" I paused, unsure of what to say.

"Well, how many of you can't swim?" I looked around the group. Only a couple kids raised their hands. "That few of you? I bet I could teach you."

…

"And this is called dead-man's float," I said as I supported a little boy in the water in front of me. The others sat on a rock, waiting their turns. We had been here for a few hours and I'd already explained other basics, like kicking and paddling. "Who wants to try that one?" I was helping the next child into the clear, shallow water when we heard the conch.

Careful not to leave anyone behind, we raced to the platform and sat down. At the meeting, I sat by the older kids who didn't know each other, but closer to the littluns this time rather than in the choir. In fact, I was sort of scared of Roger. I'd have to start avoiding big rocks when the camp became divided.

The boys around me talked on and on about how the island was in fact and island, and how they had seen pigs. They talked on and on about the island and the rules they needed. I focused more on the meeting when the little boy with the mulberry birthmark was pushed forward. He was obviously so nervous and the other kids were laughing? Ugh!

I watched while Piggy stood up for him and listened to what he had to say. Oh yeah, the snake-thing. I wondered if the parachutist had landed on the mountaintop yet? No… it hadn't. Because it had landed next to the fire, right? And the first time the boys experimented with fire…

My eyes flashed to the mulberry boy.

…

When the meeting ended and all were rushing to the mountaintop, I quickly made my way over to the small boy. He looked up at me, his eyes still wet with tears. I called out to the rest who hadn't reached the biguns in the race up the mountain.

"Littluns, stay with me. You'll still be able help." I picked up the mulberry boy and headed up with the others.


	4. Leigh1, Island0

At the top of the mountain, I continued to hold the mulberry boy on my hip. Piggy and I stood side by side, both wearing frowns. His was towards the others' childish excitement; however mine was out of focus.

_Okay, so they're going to gather all the sticks and crap. They'll start the fire after some arguing. The big fire will occur. Then Piggy scolds them and points out that the kid in my arms is missing…but that's only one child that he pointed out._

I continued to stare at the working children. Having just carried up a large tree limb, Jack stopped in front of me.

"You're helpful." I smiled.

"I know you can handle it." He shrugged, confused by the lack of sarcasm in my response, but kept working.

At last, the boys gathered around a large pile of dried wood. While Ralph and Jack exchanged unsure glances, I snickered to myself. _Give them a minute. No, Ralph, no one has any matches. Theeeere we go. _

Piggy whimpered as Jack snatched his glasses. I reached out with my free hand and put it on the plump boy's shoulder.

"Jack, that wasn't right…" I murmured. Piggy nodded in agreement while the redhead ignored me.

Ralph looked towards the sun, then back at the glasses, and concentrated on magnifying the light. When smoke started to rise, I looked around.

"Littluns, stay away from the brush on the edges." Jack glanced up in irritation.

"Why do you boss them so much?"

"Because I don't want them to get hurt, and no one else is going to keep track of them as well." He frowned and took that as taunting.

"I bet they'd listen to me best, I _am_ the oldest." He gave me a smug look, and we both backed up while the fire popped and grew. I thought for a moment.

"Well, Jack, I know they'd listen to you. I wouldn't doubt your ability to manipulate for a second," He looked at me strangely. "But, I disagree on your second point. You're, what, twelve?" Jack chuckled.

"Just recently thirteen. You?"

"Almost fifteen." At that he was taken aback.

"Oh." Together we watched the fire sputter then disappear. _All right kiddos, time to figure the fire out._

"We couldn't keep a fire like that going, not if we tried." _That's right, Piggy._

Jack looked at him disdainfully.

"A fat lot you tried. You just sat." I didn't bother to scowl, but instead kicked the crouching boy in the side. _What? It's not like I did it that hard._ Simon defended Piggy while Jack got angrier. The conversation continued until at last Jack yelled 'shut up'.

Ralph took the conch from Piggy and began speaking.

Jack straightened up. "I'll split up the choir-my hunters, that is- into groups, and we'll be responsible for keeping the fire going." At this, the skinny boy received applause from his listeners. He continued with his promises until Roger took the conch. I looked at him with a startled expression. _Oh god. How long was he next to me?_

"I've been watching the sea. There hasn't been the trace of a ship. Perhaps we'll never be rescued." _Tch. So he's beginning with psychological pain? I definitely should've studied his character in the book more._

The boys discussed the fires further and I looked at the mulberry boy.

Unconsciously I'd shifted him from one hip to the other while talking to Jack earlier. His head rested on my shoulder and stared past the group to the trees below the fire. We both watched a single spark dance its way onto the nearby plants and silently begin to spread.

My grip on the boy tightened. Leigh- 1, Island- 0.

Piggy flashed his glasses and laughed quietly to himself before addressing the group again.

"You got your small fire all right."

Everyone stared past us to the fire and became silent. Piggy continued his lecture until Jack looked at him.

"You're always scared. Yah-Fatty!" This time I didn't bother to stand up for Piggy as the argument continued. When it began to wind down and it came to the littluns, Piggy glanced at the child in my arms. Had it not been for me, he'd have been pointing out the missing child now.

"That littlun with the mark on his face-he's only here now 'cus Leigh picked him up before coming up here!" Everyone frowned at him, unsure of what to say. I took the opportunity formed by the silence to point out what death would have otherwise.

"Piggy's right," I said. "What if this boy had wandered off? Who would have noticed until now?" I looked around, daring them to respond. No one did.

I continued holding the child protectively as we walked down the mountain in silence.

…

It was night. I sat up from my spot in the sand, surrounded by littluns. My eyes adjusted and I looked into the jungle. Although I could barely see him, Simon was passing by.

_ Oh yes. He's going to his 'place'. He won't be able to go there as many times as he'd probably have liked._

I felt around in the sand for a moment then found my bag. I got up and ran into the jungle to follow him. Before falling asleep, I'd stared up into the sky and debated what I was about to do- Which one of the boys was most trustworthy? Who could handle the knowledge I had in my bag that could save lives?

I'd made my decision after thinking it over a thousand times. Ralph couldn't handle it. Piggy, I was certain, would tell EVERYONE. Jack-well, that would be almost as bad as telling his followers.

I stumbled over vines and thorns as I raced to catch up with the dark-haired prophet. I slowed when I could see him stop.

He bent into the bushes and entered the cleared area. I followed and called out in a hushed voice.

"_Simon?"_ I squinted. "_Simon, it's me, Leigh."_

"Over here." He reached out and touched my arm. I breathed a sigh of relief and took his hands. I could see his face now and didn't have to squint.

"Thank goodness." He smiled, a good-natured look that calmed my nervousness. "You were the only one I could think of who could handle this. You're different, you know?" I paused. "I-In a good way, that is." He blinked.

"Uh, I guess." It was my turn to smile, I'd finally caught my breath.

"Simon, are you a quick reader?"

"Sure, but it's a little dark…" I laughed.

"Yeah, that's why you should read this _tomorrow_." I unzipped my backpack and handed him the book. "Don't tell _anyone_ about it. Just…tell me what you think I should do, please. It'll make more sense once you read it." As I closed the bag and slung it over my shoulder, he looked up at me.

"It's okay, I know."

"Sure kid." I turned and waved before walking back to camp. I crept between the sleeping boys, careful not to disturb.

A few children cried quietly in their sleep, some about beasties, others about families. I continued to creep towards my original spot when someone twitched in their sleep and almost made me scream. _Oh, it's just Maurice._ I turned and lifted my foot to step. _Only a few meters more._ I froze in place. _What. The. Hell._

Why was Roger always nearby?

I took a deep breath and continued back to my resting place. I lay down and fell asleep immediately.


	5. Banana Allergies

So, I officially _hate_ fruit. I've eaten only fruit for days. I'm not even sure what kind. The only recognizable varieties were coconuts and… bananas. You know why?

**I'm. Allergic. To. Bananas.**

On this particular morning I sat in the sand for an hour hitting a coconut against a rock. When it FINALLY split, I eagerly tore the rest of the shell on the jagged rock. My fingers bled from contact, but the white inside of the coconut was worth it.

After I'd finished off all of the edible parts of the coconut, I discarded the pieces and walked to the freshwater stream within the jungle.

…

Sitting on my knees, I cupped my hands and filled them with the clean water. I leaned farther over the bank and washed my face. The lack of soap was something to overcome, but my face (like the rest of my skin) felt gross from the salt water I'd been spending so much time in, and I had to do something. I blinked and looked into the rippling water.

My face wasn't _too_ bad. The few freckles on my skin had multiplied, and rather than burning like I'd expected, my face was tanning. Any makeup I'd applied the day I left was gone. My lips were a little chapped, but they kept their color. Overall, I looked surprisingly good. My hair was a completely different story.

Days ago, my plain brown hair was in two braids. Now, one was coming apart and the other was completely undone. I put the hair tie that was still in use on my wrist and combed though my hair with my fingers.

Aside from focusing on my own vanity, I listened to the forest around me. The hunters had left hours ago and I hadn't seen hide nor hair from them. I sat very still and tried to hear anyone. There was no trace of movement. The stream continued to flow and birds on the trees above me chirped peacefully.

To my left, something snapped. My eyes widened as sharpened sticks flew past me and into the ground on my right.

I gave a startled gasp and Maurice stumbled out of the bushes followed by Roger. I stood and stared at them open-mouthed.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" I yelled, they both laughed.

"We saw you staring into space and thought you needed a scare," Maurice said, still laughing. Roger bent to collect the spears. I blinked and closed my mouth.

"A…scare?"

"Mmhm." I paused and looked at Roger who had begun walking away. Then, I looked at Maurice and whispered:

"_I'll give you a scare, you brat._" He frowned and opened his mouth to say _what,_ but never got the chance to.

Without thinking, I jumped on him and punched him in the face.

"UGH THEY WEREN'T EVEN THAT SHARP!" He struggled under me and I raised my fist to hit him again.

"YOU WERE ALSO WATCHING ME YOU LITTLE CREEP!" Roger eventually dropped the spears and ran over. A second later, I was pinned under him.

I frowned.

"I lose," I muttered as I wiggled one arm free from under him. I poked him in the nose and grinned. No reaction. He rolled off me and collected his spears.

I got up and looked at Maurice. He glared up at me while holding his nose and shaking a little. "Um…are you okay?" He released his hand from his face for a moment and blood pored down from his nostrils. Roger laughed quietly behind him then helped Maurice up. They walked back to camp together and I followed behind, staring at the ground.

…

Before we got to the camp, we saw Jack and Ralph standing by the bathing pool. Roger, Maurice and I stopped in front of them. I continued looked at the ground shamefully while the boys looked at Maurice. Jack spoke.

"Er…why do you have your hand over your face like that?" Maurice shook his head, still shaking a bit. Jack got irritated. "Really, why? Move your hand." He got closer and attempted to move the boy's hands, but only got a muffled scream in response. "I _said_ move your hand, Maurice." He slowly brought his bloody hand away from his face. Jack and Ralph stared. Finally Ralph blurted out-

"What did you _do_?" In response, the two hunters pointed at me. I smiled sheepishly and waved. Jack glared.

"You did this?" I stepped back.

"I didn't mean to hurt him that badly! He and Roger scared me!" Jack still wasn't satisfied. "They threw their spears right by me, like I was one of the pigs you hunt!"

"And why didn't anything happen to _him_?" He jerked his head towards the grim boy beside me. I blushed and crossed my arms.

"W-Well he's stronger than me! And I had been talking to Maurice, so he was the one who received my immediate reaction." I looked at Jack apologetically and uncrossed my arms. "But I'll try and fix him up, to make it up to you? I mean, if you want?" I looked back and fourth between Maurice and Jack. One who was making me feel ridiculously guilty by the second, and the other who I so desperately wanted to please.

Jack finally dropped the glare and shrugged.

"I guess. But if you harm any more of my hunters, you'll have to answer to me." I nodded and tried to pretend that that had been intimidating. _Wow. Scary. You're DEFINITELY shorter than me._ I turned and motioned for Maurice to come with me back to camp. He grudgingly stepped next to me. Behind us I heard Ralph mutter to Jack.

"Maybe you should send Roger with them?"

"Good idea." And with that there was another addition to our group.

…

Maurice sat on a fallen tree at the campsite. I looked at the damage I'd caused for a moment to decide what to do. I walked to the pile of coconut halves and picked up one full of water, and nearby I found a discarded piece of a shirt. I returned and stood in front of him.

"Please hold this." I put the water in his hands and tore part of the rag, tucking the rest in my shorts. I wet it and dabbed at the blood on his face. "I'm really, really sorry. I don't like having things thrown at me." He winced while I wiped up the last of the blood. Now that his nose was clean, I could tell it wasn't broken. I'd seen a broken nose before, and it was _nasty._ Maurice's nose was just knocked a little off centered. "Roger?" I turned. "Would you mind holding him still for a second?" He sauntered over and stood behind his friend, with his hands on Maurice's shoulders.

I put one hand on the boy's chin, the other on the middle of his nose. I inhaled and snapped it back into place. The boy yelped and Roger let go. "Again, I'm truly sorry." I told him. Maurice stood and rubbed his nose.

"Guh. It's okay. I've had worse in the choir. But remind me to _never_ scare you in the future." I smiled and ran my hand through my hair.

_As if I'm worried about just you._

_Or Roger._

_It's the whole Island, kid._


	6. Puberty

"Why."

A simple word. It can be spoken with a variety of meanings, emotions, and tones. Right now it was being muttered by Simon. When I registered this, I looked up from the rock I had been sitting on to watch littluns. "Why'd you show me this?" I got up from my makeshift lifeguard seat and faced him.

"Because I want your help." He looked at the book in his hand and fanned the pages before handing it back to me. We were both silent until I glanced around at the children in the area. "Littluns, why don't you go play in the sand?" I turned back to Simon. "Let's walk?"

We stepped side by side down the beach. He broke the silence first.

"Leigh, I'm 9," He looked at the ground, then at me. "I didn't _need _to know how I'm going to die." I laughed sympathetically.

"No one does. Don't you see? I've already begun to alter events. Don't you trust me to be able to save you?" I stopped and we faced each other. "I've already been thinking what to do about your death. Just _don't_ go to the party!" The boy shook his head.

"But what about the others safety? They'll still do that chant of theirs. What happens when the game goes too far? Will someone die in my place?"

"I'll tell Jack not to start the chant, of course." He shook his head again.

"I just don't think it's that simple." I smiled.

"It won't be." We halted our conversation when Jack strolled by. He carried two large leaves that probably held clay. I opened the book quickly before he got too far away. "Inside the floating cloak he was tall, thin, and bony; and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness," I said loudly. Simon frowned as Jack spun and stomped over to us.

"What are you talking about?" I kept my eyes on the book and continued.

"Out of this face stared two light blue eyes, frustrated now, and turning, or ready to turn, to anger," He growled at me. I looked up and smirked. "Hello Jack. You know…I'd tell you what I'm reading if you do me a favor." I dragged out the last word and he raised an eyebrow.

"Which is…?" I laughed.

"I don't feel like telling you right now. But I will later." He looked at me like I was crazy and walked away. My eyes followed the hunter while his back was towards us, and I whispered to Simon. "It's too bad, you know? I'd have loved to really annoy some of the people on this island." He giggled.

"I bet you would. I'm gonna go for a swim. You coming?"

"To go swimming with the biguns you hang out with? Please, hon. Some of them are old enough to have hit puberty."

"What's _puberty_?" I grinned.

"Go swimming, Simon." He jogged off to where the others swam and I headed to where I had left the littluns to play. Upon returning, I noticed the crudely decorated sandcastles the boys had created were scattered. The stones, feathers, and leaves were strewn about or buried. I stepped lightly over the hot sand towards Maurice and Roger. When they saw me, the two stopped kicking sand at the group of littluns in front of them and Maurice muttered something about going for a swim as he fled. The other continued to watch the suffering littlun in front of him. "Roger, I think Jack wants your help." And with that he was gone.

The littlun, Percival had stopped crying. When I opened Lord of the Flies to read, I saw a cloud of sand go from one boy to the other. The tears started again. I scolded Johnny and he ran off to play elsewhere. Sighing, I closed the book and walked back to camp to put it in my backpack.

…

The poorly constructed shelters faced the ocean. After I put my book away, I crawled out from one and looked up at the horizon. A spec on it inched along and I scrambled up.

_Hey, a ship._

I ran through the sand towards the water where Ralph was. In front of me I could already see him panicking. His face was twisted and he glanced at the people around him. Ralph turned and began sprinting up the mountain. I stopped running and shuddered while a group of naked boys flew by me. Piggy toddled along behind them.

"C'mon Piggy." I walked next to him and we inched up the mountain.

At the top, Ralph stood staring at the fire. _You know, if I were smarter I would have been up here keeping the fire going._

"They let the bloody fire go out." _Ooh, so intimidating._ We stood quietly while our leader's anger simmered. At the base of the mountain we heard the chant getting louder. Closer now, their words were clear.

"Kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood." I repeated the call in my head. _Kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood. _The boys near me turned, startled.

"Did I say that out loud…?" Simon nodded and we watched the procession make its way up the mountain. Jack was grinning like a madman as he bragged to Ralph about his adventure.

Ralph continued to stare at him and repeat the same words.

"You let the fire go out." Jack heard him but ignored it. Ralph said it again and the hunter began making excuses. I looked on, remembered where in the book we were, and motioned to the two.

"The brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, and skill, versus the world of longing and baffled commonsense." Everyone glanced from me to Piggy, who spoke.

"You didn't ought to have let that fire out. You said you'd keep the smoke going…" Jack stepped towards the boy. Seeing what was coming, I also stepped and grabbed the redhead's wrist before it came into contact with Piggy's stomach. The anger and humiliation in Jack's eyes faced me.

"_Please don't embarrass yourself further,_" I whispered and I let go. He brought his arm down and looked at the ground. He glanced back at Piggy and smacked the glasses off his head.

"My specs!" I stared at Jack wide-eyed while Simon fetched the broken glasses. "I got to have them specs. Now I only got one eye. Jus' you wait-"

I seized Jack when he lunged toward Piggy and held his arms tightly.

"_Stop it!"_ I hissed. The boy pulled away and imitated the smaller boy's struggle.

I dropped my hands to my side and walked to a nearby rock where I angrily sat until the fire was relit. I blinked when Jack dropped a piece of meat in my lap. "Thanks," I said with a tight-lipped smile. He moved on and gave the last bit of pork in his hands to Ralph and sat down. I watched Piggy begin to protest Jack's show of power.

Simon pushed his food to Piggy and the skinny boy began to yell. I twitched and stood up with my ongoing need to protect. I stepped between them and yelled back at the oldest boy.

"HEY, STOP IT! GOD, JACK. WE CAN ALL SEE YOUR DEMONSTRATION OF CONTROL." I stopped yelling and tried to get through his head. "Please. Keep. Your. Bloody. Humanity." I really didn't have to yell, we were inches apart. He glared, but I looked him in the eye. "Oh, and congratulations on your first pig." I held the piece in my hand to my mouth and tore off a chunk. Still not breaking eye contact, I chewed and swallowed.

Everyone had been silent for my speech to Jack. Maurice looked around.

"Uh…where did you find the pig?" He said hopefully to alter the mood. Conversation picked up again and I sat back down. I rested my face on my hand as the children chanted and pretended to kill their friend.

At last they stopped and Ralph spoke.

"I'm calling an assembly…With the conch. I'm calling a meeting even if we have to go on into the dark. Down on the platform. When I blow it. Now." He turned and left. Slowly everyone else followed him down.

I was the last to leave, behind a Mr. Jack Merridew.


	7. Fear

I picked up a rock in the middle of the pathway.

The dark sharpness was cool in my hand. I used the long nail on my thumb to scratch away moss. The pointed end of the stone was away from me, and I stared at it for a moment.

I wedged it under a log where twelve boys sat before following Jack to Ralph's right. The hunters sat together, holding spears and looking grim.

I leaned on a tree in the background while Ralph squinted into the sun. He looked down at the conch in his lap then around at the assembly.

_No one does what they promised._

_The shelters are tottery._

_Lavatories are ignored._

_The fire must be left on the mountain._

_People are afraid._

"…People started getting frightened," Ralph went on. Jack stood and took the conch as soon as our leader set it down.

"So this is a meeting to find out what's what. I'll tell you what's what. You littluns started all this, with the fear talk. Beasts! Where from? Of course we're frightened sometimes but we put up with being frightened. Only Ralph says you scream in the night. What does that mean but nightmares? Anyway, you don't hunt or build or help-you're a lot of cry-babies and sissies. That's what. And as for the fear-you'll have to put up with that like the rest of us. The thing is-fear can't hurt you any more than a dream. There aren't any beasts to be afraid of on this island. Serve you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies! But there is no animal-" Ralph contradicted him, but he was prepared. The discussion went around the triangle of boys and I rubbed my temples in frustration. The battle of voices continued until-

"Percival Wemys Madison. The Vicarage, Harcourt St. Anthony, Hants, telephone, telephone, tele-" The child wailed and others began to as well. I rushed forward (which involved hopping over the log in a space between choir boys) and picked him up. Percival put his head on my shoulder and continued crying while I patted his back and whispered that everything was all right.

Crouching on my knees, I continued holding him while comforting the other loud criers. When the panic subsided, the biguns continued talking about monsters and ghosts.

_Ah, ghosts. Time to interrupt the book._ I set the now quiet boy down and took the just-recovered conch from Ralph.

"That's **enough**." I stood and looked at the group. Inhaling, my face went from its previous comforting expression to very serious. "Ghosts are nothing you need to be thinking about now. You know what your beastie is? Psychological."

"Sigh-cuh-logicul?" One of the many puzzled littluns called out. I nodded.

"It means it's in your heads. That's what Simon was getting at." Understanding flooded the crowd of kids as they listened more closely to my train of thought. "There aren't _really_ any monsters here. But if you think there are, it won't be beasts killing you all off. It'll be the people around you." Little gasps and scared expressions showed me that they were unsure again.

I walked to Simon and stood by him.

"Okay. I'll explain better. Say you were all at a campfire, having fun. Our fabulous hunters," I motioned to the sitting choir, "have just killed a huge boar. Everyone is having a good time, and then, like a few moments ago, one of you pretends to be a pig. All goes well in the little game, there are a few bruises, but everyone is safe." I looked at Simon and he nodded in encouragement.

"Suddenly, something staggers from the woods." Littluns fidgeted nervously and Jack rolled his eyes. "Everyone gets so scared that they rush to it and, like Jack promised would happen to the beastie, it gets stabbed to death….BUT, you realize when everyone backs off, it's not a beast. It was just Simon here, and now he's dead. Your fear had made you think otherwise." The assembly was quiet.

"_Wow._" Ralph whispered. Jack snatched the conch from me.

"Do you mean to say that because of my plan people would die?" I grabbed it back from him.

"No! I meant that everyone would be scared and react badly at nothing. Not because of you." We looked into each others eyes with obvious tension. Piggy ignored us and took the conch from my hands.

He began speaking to the rest of the assembly and Jack looked away to yell at him.

Ralph stopped the angry redhead.

"That's right, favor Piggy like you always do." The argument continued until Jack mentioned what he would do to the beast. Rather than cheering with him like they should have, the group looked at him blankly.

Jack jumped off the platform and stalked off.

The rest of the assembly left as well, leaving me, Simon, Piggy, and Ralph.


	8. Fervor, Favor

Jack Merridew stomped down the beach followed by a crowd of confused children. The hot sand no longer bothered him as he marched forward to the huts.

I looked at the protagonists around me before jumping off the platform. Stumbling when I was burned, I ran through the sand to the large group and pushed my way to the front.

The redhead had found his discarded articles of clothing and had them balled in his hands. He kicked the strongest of the shelters and it wobbled.

I swallowed. This wasn't in the book.

Jack frowned at everyone.

"You're all bloody cowards. I'm tired of this game. I'm going to start my ow-" I lurched forward and cut him off by clamping my hand over his mouth.

"_This isn't supposed to happen yetttt."_ I murmured and turned to look over my shoulder. "We'll be _right back._"

I pushed him into the jungle in front of me and dragged him farther in to the abyss by his arm.

Whilst struggling with the strong boy, I grimaced and said to him: "I…_guh_…need…_mmph_…to _TALK_…to you." We stepped over soft moss and rotting logs. Well, Jack stepped. I was backwards, still trying to lead him in an unknown direction.

A vine in the pathway caught the back of my heel. I yelped and fell back, immediately letting go.

An arm shot out and grabbed me before I touched the ground. A second later I was slammed into a tree. Squirming against the hard bark, I winced and looked at Jack. He still held me there and was expressionless.

"You're right. _You_ do need to talk. So start explaining. Why the hell are you so bossy? How do you know everything that's going to happen? No-don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Tell me now." I gulped and squirmed more.

_Get back in control._

_You can't save anyone when you're pinned against a tree._

_Stall._

I blinked and looked at him.

"Well…you know that favor I mentioned…?" His grip was slackening out of focus. "I already promised I'd tell you if you would do something for me." I slipped out of his grasp and to the side. "But now's not the time for that." I smiled nervously.

"Oh no you don't." He threw me back against the tree and held my wrists this time. "Tell me _now."_

"Um, okay, well…" He glared and pressed me harder against the rough tree. I managed to whimper, "I don't wanna tell you…" in a childish voice.

Jack held both wrists with one hand and retrieved something from his pocket with the other.

Oh. His knife.

"OKAY OKAY I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON!" I screeched. He smirked and released me, however he kept the weapon out. I slid to the ground.

I held my knees to my chest and looked up at him.

"I have a book called 'Lord of the Flies'. You and everyone else here are characters. Except for me, that is." He snorted.

"Bullshit." I shrugged.

"It's true. I don't want the same outcomes to occur." I muttered.

Jack crouched in front of me and held his knife tenderly. He stared down at the shining blade and thumbed it gently before looking up at me.

"What does that have to do with you bossing me?" In response to my silence, he held the sharp end towards me.

_That's not okay._

"Jack, put that away." He didn't. Instead, his eyes flashed and he stayed still. "I'm serious, I don't enjoy being threatened."

He laughed.

"Please." Jack moved towards me.

I lunged at him and pushed his knife-wielding hand to the ground so that it was knocked away. He landed on his back but immediately shoved me off with his legs. In turn, the boy tackled me and was flipped back just as soon.

We rolled around until Jack used his strength to hold me still.

"Tell me or I'll kill you." My eyes widened and I stared up at him. Trying to calm my breathing, I gave in.

"When you divide the 'tribe' everything goes wrong. You're manipulative, cruel, and the second biggest boy on the island. However…you just don't think. People **die,** Jack." He rolled his eyes as I tried to push him off without avail.

"And how are you planning to change that?"

"My favor was going to be you not starting the chant unless you're hunting." Merridew shrugged and let go of me. I sat up and we were silent.

"So…who dies?"

"That's a secret." More silence. "You're still sitting on me."

"You'll survive." He said, although he got up anyway. Jack picked up his knife and put it away before turning back to me. He pulled me up and brought his face close to my ear. "_There are some who I'll make sure won't,"_ He sneered and roughly turned me around.

I was still wide-eyed as we walked back to camp.


	9. That's What She Said You Pervert

All eyes were on two figures making their way out of the forest and down the beach. The glow of the sunset illuminated the two: one had his arm around the other, who leaned against him. The spectators dismissed it as two good friends walking together.

Roger squinted as the two got closer to where he was standing. After another moment of observation, he laughed to himself and crawled into a shelter.

One of the figures leaned to whisper in the other's ear.

"_Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your book..."_

I shivered and tried to pull away from the grip that held me.

Jack smirked and kept his arm there.

"_You definitely won't be stopping fate, though."_

Counting the steps through the sand, my face lit up when we reached the shelters. When I moved towards one that held the youngest children, however, I was stopped. I turned to Jack with a confused expression.

He shook his head and glanced at a littlun passing by.

"Well, since we're such good_ friends_, I thought you'd like to sleep with the hunters." For a moment I forgot my fear and was a normal teen.

I snickered.

"_That's what she said."_

"What?"

"Nothing." I ducked ahead of him into the shelter that had been fortified by hanging robes between the gaps in leaves. "I like what you've done with the place."

He ignored my comment and sat down next to me. The inside of the shelter was completely dark and the stress of the day sunk in. I really wanted to sleep.

So I did.

It'd be a lie to say I didn't dream about cold blue eyes.

…

Something sounded in the distance. People were talking…running around… I opened my eyes and sat up. An assembly.

Groggily, I exited the shelter and followed everyone to the platform. My contacts itched and my throat was dry. Still drowsy, I allowed Jack to pull me to sit between him and…was that Ralph? Yes.

I slumped and sighed when he began talking. The sun had barely risen…I wanted to go back to sleep. I eyed Ralph. _So boring._

Apparently, SamnEric had seen the beast. I sat upright.

"Ummm…" I raised my hand sheepishly and was passed the conch. "There is no beast. It's a dead man attached to a parachute."

Merridew took the conch from me and looked around.

"Ignore her, she's loony. But this-it will be a real hunt! Who will come?" I coughed and stood.

"Whatever. I'm thirsty." I left muttering to myself. I bet that helped my apparent insanity. The conversation continued as I walked away.

"And what about the littluns?"

"Sucks to the littluns!" Ralph frowned.

Soon enough, I was being called back.

"…Fine. I'll look after them." After I had been acknowledged, Piggy complained about our safety. _Ughh. _Jack and Ralph shouted back and fourth.

"Conch! Conch! We don't need the conch any more. We know who ought to say things. What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It's time some people knew they've got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us-" I put my hand on the aggressive boy's bony shoulder. He stopped talking and looked at me.

"You should stop arguing and go see the beast for yourselves. Really, just bring spears and you'll all be fine. Go eat already." My eyes darted around and back to Jack. I forced a fake smile and brought my arms around his neck to hug him, but whispered. "_Someone needs to remove the corpse anyway. And you're not chief yet, so don't get so excited._"

Somewhere, a bigun whistled and I let go. I looked back at him as I herded away littluns. Everyone else was focused on weaponry and tracking.

Jack was in his own world, plotting.


	10. Ur crazy

"Do you think they'll find the beast?"

"I _don't care._"

Piggy shifted uncomfortably at my response to him. He looked down at the sand, around at the littluns, then past me towards the campsite.

"They're back!"

I stood and turned to walk in that direction. True enough, I saw the group of scared boys. Walking straight ahead, I didn't blink as my shoulder hit Jack's. He winced, that arm was bleeding.

I didn't stop.

By the shelters, Simon waved to me. We stood together and watched the news spread of a terrible beastie.

Muttering angrily, I turned away. "_I can't believe no one is listening to me!_" He shrugged and looked at me. "This is all _Jack's_ fault." The boy blinked and stared into space, clearly thinking.

"Well, you want to help everyone…" I nodded. "Maybe you should just let the story keep its path?" I frowned.

"Are you crazy?" Simon shook his head.

"That way, you could join Jack's tribe, and with the majority of kids on that side, you can help those people."

I thought about it.

And thought.

And thought.

And thought.

"You're definitely crazy." He frowned and opened his mouth to suggest something else, but stopped and followed my eyes to the insect next to us.

Without hesitation, I killed it with the side of my fist and looked up at him. "I'll still do it."

…

I glanced at the red-faced boy marching by, then smiled and looked down at my toes. I buried them in the warm sand and wiggled them up.

The sound of the conch abruptly began and I kicked the sand away.

Quietly, I leaned against a tree in the background of the meeting.

"This meeting…" "I called it." "If you hadn't called it I should have. You just blew the conch." "Well, isn't that calling it?" "Oh, take it! Go on…talk!"

Ralph stomped to the trunk in front of me and sat. Jack ignored the childish display and continued with his own.

"I've called an assembly because of a lot of things. First, you know now, we've seen the beast. We crawled up. We were only a few feet away. The beast sat up and looked at us. I don't know what it does. We don't even know what it is…" Conversation immediately broke out.

"The beast comes out of the sea…" "Out of the dark…""Trees…"

Jack yelled for silence.

"You, listen. The beast is sitting up there, whatever it is…" The yelling continued around the circle. I looked around and eyed the hunters' spears.

I wanted one.

_A hunter?_

A spear.

"Hunting," Jack continued. "Yes. The beast is a hunter. Only- shut up! The next thing is that we couldn't kill it. And the next is that Ralph said my hunters are no good." Ralph stood angrily.

"I never said that!"

"I've got the conch. Ralph thinks you're cowards, running away from the boar and the beast. And that's not all."

The children watched in silence at Merridew's meltdown. He became frustrated and began to walk away.

Ralph yelled to him. The skinny boy jumped down then ran into the jungle.

My eyes darted around. Everyone was still focused on him. I shrank backwards into the trees.

Walking at a calm pace, I proceeded to find my new chief.


	11. Comedy ends here, boys

Hearing leaves crinkle, Jack Merridew spun around. He glared at me through caked-on mud then shifted the grip on his spear.

"_Shhh!_"

I rolled my eyes and tossed my matted hair.

"You _shhh._" He looked away and crouched down for a better hunting stance. Creeping closer, I followed suit.

In front of us, through the undergrowth, there was a flash of pink and a rustling in the leaves. I looked up and nodded at Roger crouching in a tree above it, and opposite him to Maurice lying under a low bush.

Silently, Jack held up his hand and motioned 3…2…

I stepped back as the wild hunters sprang towards the pig in front of them. There was a struggle, a squeal as our leader brought his knife down, then silence.

We all stared at the lifeless mass in front of us,

Then began cheering and whooping loudly.

It had been weeks since the tribe broke apart. During the first bonfire, I had no control. At first, I blamed myself for Simon's death. But it was okay now. It was what he wanted.

Definitely, what he wanted.

He said so. It made sense, because after it ended, I was there to patch up the bruised and bloodied warriors he died for.

Merridew fell into step next to me while the hunters dragged dinner back to camp.

"Leigh…Why did you come to the hunt?"

"You were taking too long." _And I missed you._

"It was hard to find a pig."

"That's what happens when you kill all the babies." He frowned.

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"Make me."

"Give me a needle and thread, and I will." We stopped in front of the rock the corpse had been laid on and began laughing.

I didn't blink when Jack cut its throat and blood hit my cheek.

…

The fire crackled and reflected off of the rocks where children sat. It was cold, and living so close to the ocean didn't help.

Everything about this living space would have been deemed unwelcoming only a few months ago.

Now, they say home is where the heart is.

And…This is my home, but the heart? Please, that's weak.

If I'd learned anything from being cast into my favorite book, it would be that being weak in any way would get you nowhere.

To my right, a bigun twisted a smaller boy's arm and took the littlun's meal.

_Exactly my point._

On my left, a redhead hunched over, eating and talking with his [once] peers. War paint from old adventures lingered with mud on his freckled skin, and traveled up to wiry, tangled hair.

Jack was getting taller every day.

_You know, our age difference couldn't even be considered much of a gap._

I cleared my throat and stood. Jack poked the back of my knee and grinned.

I patted his head and left.

Damn, I wish the redness in my ears would go away. It would probably be best if I just went to bed.


	12. Crunch

Over the island, the clouds passed steadily. Of course, there weren't many of them, since the sun still beat down on us. Against a portion of the cliff, I drifted in and out of consciousness.

It was like a dirty, steadily crumbling paradise. _Mmmmm. _

Roger was nearby, sharpening primitive weapons. Occasionally, the noise he made was replaced by him poking and prodding rocks by the edge of our 'fort.'

"….I feel awful" a high, nasal voice carried from below. Roger stopped and howled, then quickly echoed by our tribe. He peered over the ledge and yelled to the boys.

I could hear Ralph getting irritated, and Roger sucked in a breath to yell down another reply. Covering my ears, I groaned before getting up to look down at our visitors.

My companion picked up a rock and chucked it towards Samneric. I exhaled and let out a short laugh.

"Look at 'em jump." I snickered with Roger.

"Did you hear me? I'm calling an assembly," there was a pause. "Where's Jack?"

The conversation continued. I threw my head back and looked at the sky again before staring down at Ralph. _God, shut up. Life's been good lately._

"What do you want?" My eyes shifted to the three hunters who had emerged from the forest. I could feel my face heat up to match the hair of the tall, skinny leader.

Even caked in black and green, I could see grey blue eyes. I bit my lip and kept watching Jack argue with Ralph.

_ Oh, god, wait. They're physically fighting?_

The spears clicked together several times, and even from a distance one could see the rivals breathing heavily once they separated.

_Ooh, gonna get me breathing heavily too._

Shouting resumed. I found myself jeering with the tribe.

Light caught my eye- Piggy held the pearly, curved conch. We were abruptly quiet again as the fat child spoke. The speech wasn't going anywhere after a few seconds, and our taunts grew loud again.

Next to me, Roger jumped back to a lever he had put in place earlier. I frowned.

"h-Hey! Jack didn't tell you to do anything yet." The only response I received was a harsh laugh as he pushed the rock over the edge.

I fell to my knees and found myself looking upwards again. Those tropical skies weren't as pretty when I heard a crunch and a thud.


	13. Cleansed

Wet sand squished slightly beneath my feet. There wasn't time for me to sink in and leave deep prints- not at the rate I was sprinting.

Everything had happened so fast.

I didn't want anyone to die.

I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Honestly, I had a copy of the damn book I was stuck in. That had been destroyed a while ago, come to think of it, but that didn't make a difference. I should have stopped things.

I didn't want to be part of a manhunt- to kill Ralph.

It happened anyway. So I found myself dashing along the beach, searching for the protagonist, the hero, the victim. Smoke billowed out of the Jungle. Grey clouds reached out and ate away at the only freshness and life on this awful place.

Somewhere, a ways away, the tribe of savage boys screeched and destroyed.

I felt sick. Over a rock, and around another corner, I could see a messy blonde haired figure stumbling out of the foliage. Swallowing, I pushed the lump in my throat back. I could taste salt, and my eyes watered. I stopped short behind Ralph as he fell in front of the naval officer.

While the former leader spoke with him, the man looked over the other children that were pouring from the forest. I followed his gaze and looked around at the boys. They were dirty, covered in who knows what, and staring wide-eyed at the first adult we had seen in a long time.

Just little boys…

My eyes met with those of the officer. I blinked and started sobbing.

...

Within a few hours of boarding the ship, I buttoned up a fresh shirt and tucked it into pressed slacks. My hair was wet and combed, although cropped to salvage the mess left by the wilderness. I felt like a teenage girl again. Clean and taken care of, I wandered about, trying to help the littluns.

Littluns. That didn't sound right at all. Here there were iron and titanium walls, electric lights, balanced meals. None of those things fit with disorganization, grouped, nameless children, or murder.

My wandering eventually brought me to the main deck of the ship. A pale boy with red hair stood alone, watching the waves. I crept up and hugged him. He was my chief, after all. I planted a kiss on his shoulder and he turned towards me.

"Leigh…don't," Jack mumbled. It could have been sweet, in another situation.

I pulled away slightly and looked at him.

"What?" He gave a tight-lipped smile before shoving me backwards and over the steel rail.

"I said _don't touch me_."


End file.
